Death is arguably the most terrifying thing in life. The reality of our mortality and the inevitable end of all that is familiar are subjects that are hard to swallow. Despite, or perhaps because of this, death has always been a subject loved by artists, poets and writers ever since the early civilisations of the Egyptians and the ancient Greek.
However much we are frightened by the prospect of dying, there is something fascinating about it too. Death is incomprehensible and therefore intriguing. It also confronts us with the fact that our existence in this form is finite and that we should enjoy life while it lasts.
William Barry Roberts is both personally and professionally intrigued by the concept of mortality. In his work he found many ways of expressing his interest in the subject and explored different methods of communicating this. One of his most personal works is his Post-Mortem Self Portrait (2010) for which he painted himself as deceased, surrounded by names of toxic substances and food chemicals that potentially may cause his death.
Post Mortem Self Portrait (2010)
Anthropocene Epoch (2010) shows a human skeleton made out of small wooden branches on one side of the framed work and a tampon representing a rocket on the other. According to Roberts the work addresses the fact that we live in a time ‘that is defined by the change mankind has made on earth’. We have created machines that can fly us to the moon (or tools that make our monthly pains easier to deal with), we can change the world for future generations but we are still mortal human beings, souls trapped in limited bodies.
Anthropocene Epoch (2010)
Roberts works with a dark theme, but has a beautiful and soft way of painting and drawing. His paintings look old, and even have a medieval feel to them sometimes. Roberts is not afraid of irony, or even comedy, which becomes apparent in Bob Ross Rotting (2007). His sense of humour gives his work a lightness that is especially to be appreciated when it comes to something heavy like the end of life.
Bob Ross Rotting (2007)
More works of William Barry Roberts, including his Unloved Series, a series of small portraits of forgotten and neglected senior citizen corpses, can be found on his website http://williambarryroberts.com/
Love the charector and detail in this work Its very dark and gothic . Un like by work. sunny and at one with the world. Opposit ends of the scale. All the best Chris.
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Death is arguably the most terrifying thing in life.
Frankly I think life is far more terrifying than death. Dying might be a bad gig depending on the circumstance. But just look at the misery easily available in this world of ours, for many death is a release, for the misguided it’s the gateway to an afterlife.
I’m not especially impressed by this selection of work, seems naive and less than impressive.
not this theme again !!! please … talk about something diferent . it got so , but so boring ! only teenagers see this page ? because this is the kind that impress this kind of people very much .
Death does not terrify me at all. Right now and for the last five years i welcome and embrace it. It would be a release from the misery Saatchi has caused me for years. Who cares if there is an afterlife. Life after death you say, my question is, is there life before death ? Que sera sera, what will be will be as Doris Day sings, and if there is only oblivion and blissful unawareness, bring it on, give it me infinitely, for i am tired of this world of man, tired of the hate thrown at me, tired of london and tired of life.
Some absolutely horrible images of death! But a really really enjoyable post!
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